A Little Gossip Never Hurt Anyone
by Boxer Thief
Summary: SPD When Jack informs Sky of a rumor around the base, Sky is forced to look at his best friend in a different light. Sky x Bridge SLASH
1. Rude Awakening

A Little Gossip Never Hurt Anyone

By: Boxer Thief

Disclaimer: Trust me, if I did own the rights to PR SPD, everyone would assume the creator's on crack.

Warnings: Well, no spoilers that I can think of, just good old boy on boy action…and, you know, OOC-ness, because all my stories need to have that warning.

Chapter 1: Rude Awakening

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Sky sighed as he glanced up from rereading the SPD handbook. Yep, he was STILL staring at him. Ever since Jack walked into the common room, he just sat there, staring at Sky, smirking. His entire expression, posture, and eyes screaming, "I know something you don't know!" Sky had read the same sentence over and over again, unable to concentrate with the intense gaze drilling into him.

"Okay, fine, what do you want?" Sky finally gave up and put the handbook down.

If it was possible, Jack's grin grew, "Ya know, I just heard the most interesting rumor."

"I don't follow gossip," Sky quickly replied. "And neither should you. We're supposed to set an example for the lower cadets, not the best idea to be spreading slander."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Walking Manual, I'm not spreading anything," Jack brushed away the comment. Then replied in mock serenity, "I merely thought that, as red ranger, it was my duty to alert the subject of these rumors of what's being said." He grinned in wicked glee, "And you seem to be involved in one of the most _interesting_ love affairs."

Sky scoffed, "There is nothing going on between me and Syd. I thought that rumor died years ago."

"Oh, it's not Syd," Jack's eyes laughed.

Sky seemed genuinely surprised, "Well, I certainly hope you don't believe that Z and I are in a relationship."

Jack merely shook his head, grin never fading. Sky racked his brain, but he couldn't think of a single female that he would have paid enough attention to that would make rumors start to fly. Eventually, Jack took pity on him, walked over and put his hand on Sky's shoulder.

"I hope you and Bridge are very happy together."

If Sky's seat didn't have a back, he would have fallen right out of it. He broke out into a coughing fit despite not drinking anything. Him and…Bridge? Of all people, why Bridge? Even if he was gay, what…wait a minute…this meant they thought he was gay.

"Well, I guess now we know why our adorable little Bridge never gets approached by any of the female cadets," Jack laughed.

Sky stared up at him, "You can't possibly believe this. I mean, it's BRIDGE! He's my best friend, and besides that, I'm straight."

"I dunno, man." Jack replied. "The evidence used to back it up seemed pretty reasonable."

"What evidence?" Sky questioned. "What could possibly make people even think that?"

"Well, first there's the huge amount of time you guys seem to spend together," Jack listed.

"We're on the same squad and roommates; we'd have to purposefully avoid each other if we wanted to spend less time with each other."

Jack continued, "Then there's the insistent physical contact Bridge seems to apply to you-"

"Bridge is a very friendly guy, he doesn't apply any affection onto me that he doesn't to the rest of you," Sky defended.

"And there's you're unwarranted protectiveness of Bridge to go off of," Jack ignored Sky's protests.

"It's not unwarranted," Sky shot. "Bridge can't take care of himself; he needs someone to do it for him."

Jack looked up at him in disbelief, "He's the green ranger Sky; I doubt he would have gotten that far if he couldn't defend himself."

"Yeah, but he's still too trusting," Sky reasoned. "He's gullible, slow, and relies more on intuition than logic. He needs someone to watch out for him."

"And that's going to be you," Sky shot Jack a glare. "Because you luurve him."

Sky rolled his eyes, "I refuse to partake in this fourth grade argument."

"And lastly, there's the way Bridge lights up like a Christmas tree every time he sees you," Jack finished his list. "Or a Hanukah menorah in his case, I guess."

Sky shot Jack a dull look, "Now that's just a lie."

Jack shrugged his shoulders, "Believe what you will, but the tribe has spoken." Smiling cheerily, he put his fist on his chest, "Take good care of our boy."

"Stop that," Sky growled as he went to pick up his forgotten handbook. "All of your evidence is completely unfounded and not true."

The doors slid open as Bridge wandered in. Seeing the red and blue rangers, a wide grin spread across his face and he bounded over to the pair. "Hey Sky, I was looking for you," happiness apparent in his voice. "Do you have any plans tonight? Because I was hoping we could go out for dinner. I was thinking pizza, so we could get your favorite, as long as we get a side order of buttery bread sticks."

Sky groaned, '_Jeeze, Bridge, obvious much?_'

"Do you not want to go? Because I already a-okayed it with Crugar for the night. I thought we could make it an outing, Syd and Z said they'd come, oh, and Jack, you're coming too, right?" Bridge glanced up at Jack for the first time since walking in.

Jack smiled up at his friend, "Oh, I'm definitely in. Come on, Sky, don't you want to spend time with your friends?" Jack asked, emphasizing the word friends.

"This doesn't prove anything," Sky defended as he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving behind a very confused Bridge and a laughing Jack.

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In the end, Sky did end up going to pizza with the group, thinking that with everyone going, it had no way of being interpreted as a date. Yet, while everyone else was laughing and sharing stories, he just couldn't get himself to join in.

"And to top it all off, after I finally cuffed the guy, he turns around and hits on me," Syd finished her story. "I mean, even if he was attractive, I'm not some blushing school girl who'd let a guy go because he thought I was cute."

"If you ask me you got off easy," Z chimed in. "Last week, I had a girl hit on me to get out of a violation fine."

Jacks eyebrows perked up with interest, "What district were you in? Maybe I can get a special request in for my next rounds."

"Sorry, Jack, I don't think her standers are that low yet," Z smiled over her soda as everyone laughed, well, almost everyone.

Bridge looked worriedly at his friend, "Hey Sky, is something wrong?"

"Yeah, you've been even quieter than usual," Syd added.

Jack fixed him with a mocking look, "Come on, Sky, tell us what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong," Sky defended.

"Are you sick?" Bridge asked worriedly. "Because it's best to cure an illness at the first sign. Here, I'll check." Bridge, with gloves removing the possibility of hand to skin contact, opted for the next best thing, and put his cheek on Sky's forehead.

Sky quickly felt his blood rush to his face at Bridge's closeness. "Hmm…no fever," Bridge pondered, when Sky abruptly pushed him off.

"I'm not sick," he almost yelled.

Bridge looked up at him in shock, "Okay, sorry, I was just worried."

"No," Sky sighed. "I'm sorry; I'm just…tense right now. I don't know why," he added, giving Jack a pointed look, who merely shrugged in return.

Bridge smiled up at his friend, "Hey, no problem. But it's great that you're not sick, because I want to order another pizza, I'll even let you choose again!" He quickly slung his arm over Sky's shoulders as he tried to wave down a waiter.

Sky's entire body began to tingle as he became overly aware of Bridge's arm wrapped over him. Looking up, he saw Jack giving him a knowing smirk, while Bridge continued to wave his other arm, desperately trying to get a waiter's attention. Sky quickly shoved off Bridge's arm and shot up from his seat, "Listen, I have to…uh…I just have to go."

And then he was gone, but not without seeing the kicked puppy expression Bridge had over his face.

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Wiping away the sweat on his face, Sky paused in his jog to catch his breath. After returning to SPD, he had immediately gone to the field to do a couple of laps. He knew that when Bridge came back, he would expect an explanation, and Sky wasn't ready to give him one yet. He figured that if he stayed out long enough, Bridge would eventually fall asleep, and no confrontation would be needed. As such, his couple of laps had turned into a full blown training exercise.

The sun had been set for quite some time, and anyone else on the field had left hours ago. Fatigue setting in, Sky glanced at his watch: 1:00 am. His eyes widened, he hadn't realized he'd been out for so long. Well, Bridge was definitely asleep by now, and that was his goal in the first place. With that thought, he headed in.

After showering and changing out of his sweaty clothes, almost another hour had past when he finally showed up at the door. Making as little noise as possible, Sky slipped into his room.

His gaze fell on Bridge, still clothed, asleep against the wall. Blinking, realization fell over Sky, '_He stayed up waiting for me._' Guilt racked over his body as he looked at his friend. Even for Bridge, that position couldn't be comfortable, and with his neck bent like that, he would be quite stiff the next day…or later today, Sky mentally corrected, remembering the time.

He quickly set on removing Bridge's shoes, to try to make him more comfortable. His SPD regulation jacket was the next to go, Sky taking extra care not to wake the slumbering ranger, and then he moved to his pants. This is where Sky paused, Jack's words rushing back to him. He looked down at his hands on the hem of Bridge's pants, and a blush spread across his face.

'_Relax, Tate,' _Sky assured himself._ 'There's nothing sexual about this. You're simply helping a friend out.'_ Yet his hands still wouldn't move, _'Okay, Bridge will just have to sleep with pants on tonight.'_ Sky gave up and laid Bridge down in his bed and pulled up the covers.

'_This is ridiculous,' _he sighed. _'Things shouldn't be this awkward between me and Bridge; we're best friends. Even Jack doesn't believe this stupid rumor; he just wants to mess with me.'_ Sky's gaze fell on his sleeping friend, _'I should tell Bridge about the rumor, after all, it does involve him as well. I'm sure he'll find it hilarious, and prove to me how much of an idiot I'm acting because of it.'_

'_Still, Jack was right about one thing, this does explain why Bridge never gets approached any member of the female cadets,' _Sky studied Bridge's face, he didn't have the tall handsome look by any means, and yet, he had such a boyish charm, it was endearing, and almost…attractive. His hand traced over Bridge's check, brushing away some stray hairs along the way. Bridge unconsciously turned his face into Sky's hand, sighing contently.

"Sky," he mumbled sleepily.

Snapped out of his trance, Sky's eyes widened and he pulled his hand away, as if burned. Taking one last look at Bridge's sleeping face, he walked over to his own bed and laid down. _'First thing in the morning,' _he assured himself. _'I'll tell Bridge about the rumor and things can go back to normal.'_ He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

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A/N: Thanks for sticking with me! - Hope I kept at least some of you entertained. Reviews will guilt me into updating faster…and lack of reviews will make me sad. I prefer the reviews!


	2. Awkward Moments

A Little Gossip Never Hurt Anyone

By: Boxer Thief

Disclaimer: Still not mine, though I am seriously considering making Bridge into a plushie so I can carry him around with me all day.

Warnings: Still no spoilers, and no action yet, sorry folks. Just my typical probable OOC, because it's not impossible that I could write them in character, it's just improbable. Oh, and boy love…can't forget the boy love.

Chapter Two: Awkward Moments

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Bridge yawned as he stretched out his back on his bed. Blinking his eyes open, he stared confusingly at the ceiling. "That's odd," he thought aloud. "I don't remember falling asleep last night. I remember waiting up for Sky to come back and…" Bridge's eyes widened and he shot up in bed. "Sky! Oh, I wanted to talk to him to see what was wrong," he glanced over at Sky's bed, it was empty but slightly rumpled, a sign that it was newly made. Sky had slept there, but had already left.

"Ah man," Bridge groaned as he sat up in bed. "I missed him." He then realized for the first time that he was still wearing the same clothes he had on the day before. "Heh, guess I forgot to get changed." Glancing to the side of his bed, he noticed his missing SPD overcoat and shoes. Neatly folded, they looked out of place amongst all his clutter. Warmth spread through him as Bridge realized that Sky must have removed them for him. Maybe Sky wasn't mad at him after all.

With new hope rising within him, Bridge quickly put on some new clothes and walked out of his room. He turned toward the training area, thinking that would be the best bet of seeing Sky. He'd work things out with Sky as soon as he found him. Pausing, he changed his mind and turned down a different hallway, he'd just go get a quick plate of buttery toast first. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

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The cafeteria was almost empty when Sky entered. It was the haze between meals, not early enough for breakfast, but still not late enough for lunch. Yet the one person that he was looking for was there, as he spotted Bridge standing on his head with an empty plate next to him.

Sky's breath hitched as he noticed Bridge's shirt being pulled down by gravity, exposing his midriff, but he quickly shook it off. This is why they needed to talk, so things would stop being weird and go back to normal.

Quickly walking over, he paused when he reached the green ranger, debating whether or not to speak or wait for his presence to be known. He didn't have long as Bridge made the choice for him. "Hey Sky," Bridge opened his eyes and hopped down from his position. "You know, I had a dream about you last night."

Sky looked at him in shock; that was not what he had expected this conversation to start. But then again, with Bridge, you learn to expect the unexpected. "Really?" he finally questioned.

"Yeah," he nodded, and then thought for a moment. "I can't seem to recall what happened, but I definitely remember your presence." He smiled up at Sky, "That's funny because I always remember my dreams."

"Hilarious," Sky dismissed as he tried to approach the reason why he had sought Bridge out. "Listen, Bridge…have you heard any rumors lately?"

Bridge's face went confused, "Well…yeah. Tons. They're everywhere around here." His eyes suddenly lit up, "Oh, there was this one that I heard."

Sky's ears perked up in interest, if Bridge had already heard the rumor, then there would be no need for Sky to alert him of his position. "What was it?"

"Well, I heard that Littell in accounting is having an affair with Hewitt down in transfers, and that Hewitt's pregnant with his kid," Bridge concentrated hard. "It just seems really odd because I'm pretty sure Hewitt is male as well, that alien race just produces very uni-gender looking kids. And even if Hewitt was female, I don't think it's possible for that particular inter-species relationship to-"

"That," Sky interrupted, "is not the rumor I was talking about."

"Oh," Bridge looked interested. "Then what one were you talking about?"

"Well," Sky started off. '_This is harder than I thought, but why? He deserves to know just as much as I do.'_ He sat down, Bridge quickly following suit, and looked at Bridge's expectant face, "I'm sure you'll get a laugh out of this-"

"Hey, I could use a laugh, fill me in," startled, Sky looked over his shoulder to see a smiling Jack Landers.

'_Great,'_ he thought sarcastically._ 'Just the person I wanted to see.'_

Bridge replied before Sky could get a word in, "Oh, Sky was just going to tell me about a rumor he heard that bugged him."

"Really?" Jack's voice implied he was way more interested than he had any right to be. He quickly shifted his gaze to the blue ranger. "Now, what rumor could possibly crawl under the skin of our beloved ice prince here?"

Sky gritted his teeth, "Nothing's crawled under my skin. I'm not bothered by anything. I'm perfectly calm."

"Uh huh," Jack replied unconvincingly. "Well, then you'll have no objections to me testing a theory." He turned back to Bridge, "Bridge, would you hand me a soda from the set over there?"

Bridge looked over to see an unopened six-pack of soda sitting on the table next to Sky, "But Sky's closer…couldn't-"

"I asked _you_, Bridge," Jack insisted, as Sky continued to glare up at him.

Bridge looked back and forth between his two friends. Something was going on, he could tell that much, but without further information…Bridge shrugged and reached over Sky to grab a soda can.

Sky's breath caught in his throat as Bridge's body pressed against his. It felt as if his core was on fire as warmth spread throughout his being. _'God, why does this feel so good?'_ Sky questioned himself desperately._ 'It's just Bridge. BRIDGE! Your best friend!'_ But somehow this knowledge only increased the rate of his already racing heart.

Fortunately for Sky, Bridge finished fishing out a can from the six-pack and threw it over to Jack. But the red ranger didn't even look at it before responding, "I don't like this one, get me a different one."

"But they're all exactly the same," Bridge said, exasperatedly.

Jack smiled back, "I just don't like this one."

Bridge rolled his eyes and went back to the soda pack, taking special care to examine them this time to make sure he wouldn't be forced to get a new one again.

Sky spent this entire time with his eyes closed, trying to think of anything except the warm body spread out against his. _ 'Uh, regulation #627: No cadet must…no, whenever a threat…God he smells so good.' _Sky's eyes shot open as he realized just how much he was enjoying Bridge's presence. In panic, he quickly pushed the green ranger away from him, who lost his balance and ended up sprawled out on the floor.

"Sky? What…huh?" Bridge looked up at him, shock, hurt, and confusion filling his amazingly blue eyes.

'_What? Amazingly blue eyes?'_ Sky stared down at Bridge, breathing heavily. "I-I'm sorry. I just…I mean…it's not-"

"As much as I hate to break up this little episode of Sky freaking out," Jack looked at his watch, "I believe it's time for our daily patrol."

Bridge sent one last pained look in Sky's direction, then realizing that he wasn't going to get an explanation anytime soon, pushed himself off the floor. Tossing the soda can at Jack with more force than necessary, Bridge walked out of the cafeteria.

Sky watched Bridge leave, then groaned and put his face in his hands. Jack let out a low whistle, "So, does that hissy fit mean that Bridge is the woman in the relationship?" He looked down at the soda in his hands, "You know, I don't even like orange soda. You want it?"

Sky growled, standing up. His eyes shot daggers into Jack as he passed him on his way out, "Just stay away from me from now on."

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Z looked over at her friend in the corner of her eye. She and Bridge had been assigned together for the day and set out to patrol in the jeep. Lucky for them, because with Bridge as distracted as he was, he probably couldn't walk without running into a wall.

"You going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to guess?" Z finally asked.

Bridge blinked out of his haze and responded eloquently, "Huh?"

Z rolled her eyes, "Case and point. You're completely out of it, and you're no where near your usual happy-go-lucky self. So I'll ask again," she gave him the sternest look she could muster without taking her eyes off the road. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong or do I have to guess?"

"I think it'd be better if you guessed," Bridge sighed as he put his feet on the dashboard and leaned back. "I have no idea what's going on."

"Want me to pull over so you can stand on your head?" Z offered, smiling.

Bridge grinned for the first time sense they started the patrol, "Thanks, but I doubt the big dog would be happy about us ditching our duties." He sighed, "Besides, I already tried that this morning. What I can figure out doesn't tell me what's happening."

There was a short silence in the jeep before Bridge spoke up again, "Sky's mad at me."

Z paused before responding, "Is this about last night?"

"Part of it," Bridge nodded. "That's when it started. But Sky's been weird around me. It's like we can't even brush by each other without him going postal. He tried talking to me this morning, but then Jack showed up and-"

"Wait," Z interrupted. "Jack's involved in this?"

Bridge nodded again, "He knows what's going on. That much I'm sure of. Whenever Sky's acting strange, Jack comes by and makes it ten times worse."

Z thought about it for a moment, "I wouldn't worry about it."

"What?" Bridge looked up in shock.

"Well, the way I see it, Jack and Sky are having another one of their bickering contests," Z explained. "Jack probably just found something that struck a nerve with Sky and is trying to milk it for all it's worth. Sky, being the serious self-righteous prick that he is, is just reacting accordingly." She smiled reassuringly at Bridge, "I'm sure he'll get over it soon enough, you just have to wait it out."

Bridge considered it, "Maybe you're right. But I still wish that I could find a way to sort it out sooner."

"Tell you what," Z smiled. "I'll talk to Jack and you can talk to Sky and we'll try to get everything back to normal."

Bridge smiled back, "Sounds like a plan." There was a more comfortable silence until he spoke up again, "He's not, you know."

Z looked confused, "Who's not what?"

"Sky," he answered. "He's not a serious self-righteous prick."

Z laughed aloud, "Hey, you're the one who's best friends with the guy, not me. Now let's get back to work."

"Aye, aye, cap'in," Bridge mock saluted.

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"You're sulking," Syd insisted.

"I'm not sulking," Sky defended. "Tate's do not sulk."

"You're pondering with a scowl on your face," Syd continued. "You are so sulking."

Sky simply decided not to answer her this time and continued walking.

"You can tell me, you know," Syd tried. "It might help."

"There's nothing to tell," Sky dismissed, increasing his pace.

Syd bit her lip as she watched Sky. Considering what approach would get her the best results, she finally decided to just be direct. "Okay, what did Jack tell you about Bridge?"

Sky stumbled in his steps and stared at her in shock, "What?"

"Oh please," Syd rolled her eyes. "I may be blonde, but I'm not stupid. Last night you kept shooting Bridge awkward glances and blushed every time he leaned slightly towards you. And Jack was sitting there acting like a cat that just caught the mouse."

Sky thought about it for a moment before turning away, "It's not something I can talk about."

Syd huffed and stormed over to him, "Look, if you're not going to tell me for your own sake, then do it for Bridge's."

Sky looked confused as Syd continued, "Right now Bridge is tearing himself apart inside trying to figure out what he did wrong to make you act like this. No, he didn't tell me, but I've known him just as long as you have and I can tell."

"Now you're going to suck up your pride and tell me what Jack told you because I'm not going to let you continue to hurt Bridge like this," Syd glared pointedly at Sky.

Sky felt guilt rush through him as he recalled Bridge's pained expressions from last night and this morning, "I don't want to hurt Bridge."

Syd sighed in relief, "Then tell me what's going on."

There was a round of silence before Sky responded, "There was this rumor, Jack told me about it."

"About Bridge?" Syd guessed.

"About _me_ and Bridge," Sky emphasized. "In it, people are saying that Bridge and I are…together," he paused before clarifying. "Romantically."

Syd's eyes widened in shock, "Sky, you can't believe that. I mean, even Jack can't believe that. He's just messing with you."

"I know that," Sky shot, and then sighed. "I told myself that. But now…things are weird. Every time I look at Bridge I think…" Sky trailed off.

"What?" Syd encouraged.

Sky leaned against the wall next to him, taking a deep breath, "What if they saw something I missed?"

He paused and Syd caught his anguish filled eyes, "What if I'm in love with Bridge?"

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A/N: Wow! Thank you so much to my reviewers! I didn't expect to be this well received! - I love you all so much. Here, this chapter is longer than the last one…well, a little longer. Actually, after planning out the beginning story line, I realized I had to break this chapter up; otherwise the next chapter would have been about 2 pages long while this one was…probably 12. So I hope you stay with me! I LOVE YOU ALL!


	3. Confrontations

A Little Gossip Never Hurt Anyone

By: Boxer Thief

Disclaimer: I almost won the rights to Power Rangers in a poker game, but turns out I suck at that game. I ended up loosing my lamp….I miss my lamp.

Warnings: Well, there's always the boy loving going on, but if you made it this far in the story, you probably already know that…if you don't, then I'm either a very crappy writer or you're very slow.

Chapter 3: Confrontations

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"Hey, Jack, can I talk to you for a moment?" Z walked over to her friend in the cafeteria.

Jack smiled up from the table he was sitting at, "Sure, Z, what's up?"

Z sat down in the seat across from Jack, "Well, it's about you and Sky-"

"JACK LANDERS!" a very angry looking pink ranger stormed through the doors, and marched right up to Jack, who at least had the grace to look scared.

"Syd," Jack acknowledged. "Um…can I help you?"

"You only have one chance to explain, so it better be good," Syd leaned closer to look even more threatening. "Why did you tell Sky that he had romantic feelings for Bridge?"

Z stared at Jack in a mix of shock and anger, "You told him _what_?"

Jack laughed nervously, "Well, you see…"

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"Umm…Sky?" Sky looked up from getting his own dinner to see a nervous Bridge, fiddling with his fingers. It was the first time they'd seen each other since the incident earlier, and it made the memories flood back to Sky. The feel of Bridge across him, his smell, getting distracted by Bridge's eyes…Sky suddenly found it hard to breath.

"Can we talk?" Bridge asked, meeting Sky's eyes with his own.

Sky coughed and averted his gaze. "Go ahead," Sky hoped his voice sounded more natural to Bridge than it did to his own ears.

"This is exactly what I want to talk to you about," Bridge said exasperatedly. "You can't even look at me right now. If you're going to just randomly start avoiding me, I at least deserve an explanation. I mean it's just common courtesy. How am I supposed to know what I'm doing wrong if you don't tell me?"

Sky tugged on the collar of his shirt, since when did Bridge's voice sound so attractive?

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"Look, it's not like I did anything wrong," Jack defended. "Sky and I are always fighting. Why am I suddenly the bad guy?"

Syd groaned, "You're such an idiot."

"Jack, I enjoy watching you and Sky bicker as much as the next girl," Z explained. "But you crossed a line this time."

"How?" Jack questioned, looking back and forth between the girls. "And since when do you guys care enough to get involved in our fights?"

"Since you became an insensitive jerk who doesn't realize what he's doing," Z replied.

Jack shot Z a condescending look, "I think that's a little uncalled for."

"I think that's very called for," Z defended. "That and ten times more."

"Do you want to know exactly what you did wrong?" Syd asked.

Jack threw his hands up in the air, "Yes. I've been trying to understand that since the beginning."

"You made it personal," Syd said. "You may not realize it, and Sky would die before he admitted it, but what you said really shook him up."

"And you're the jerk pouring salt in the wound," Z added.

Jack stared questioningly at Syd, "Shook him up how?"

"You've got him thinking that he's developing a romantic interest in Bridge!" Syd yelled.

Jack scoffed, "That's ridiculous. He knows I'm just messing with him. That way of thinking will blow off in a couple of days."

"Maybe," Z agreed. "But will his friendship with Bridge last that long?"

Jack looked confused, "What do you mean?"

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"I know that you aren't very open with your feelings, you don't like to talk about them. I know that about you and have learned to respect it," Bridge continued. "But I like to think that after all the time we've known each other I've at least earned the right to know what's wrong with you when it has to do with me."

Bridge's words blurred together in Sky's mind. It didn't matter what they were, anyway, just the sound of Bridge's voice seemed to affect Sky in a way he never considered before.

Bridge seemed to notice the lack of attention Sky was paying, "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes," Sky muttered under his breath. "That's the problem."

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"That's another thing that you screwed up royally on," Syd groaned.

"You brought Bridge into this squabble of yours," Z clarified. "You're using him as a pawn in this twisted mind game that you're playing."

"That's not…" Jack paused in mid-denial. His mind went back to each time he had been teasing Sky over this particular subject. At the time he had been so focused on Sky's reaction that he had completely missed Bridge's. "I don't want to hurt Bridge, he's my friend."

Z snorted, "Some friend you're being."

"I didn't mean to…is Bridge okay?" Jack questioned.

Syd replied in all honesty, "Sky isn't the only one that you messed up with your idiocy."

"Look, I'm sorry," both Syd and Z shot Jack pointed looks. "I went too far, I know that now, but I won't keep going."

Syd glared at him, "I'm afraid you've already passed the point of no return."

"No, that's not true," Jack denied. "I'll fix everything. You'll see. They'll be no permanent damage."

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"What does that mean?" Bridge questioned. "Sky, what's wrong? Just let me in so I can find some way to fix things and have them go back to the way they were before."

Bridge put a hand on Sky's shoulder in an attempt to put his friend at ease, but it had the opposite effect. With the combination of Bridge's voice and now the body contact, Sky felt his entire body light up on fire. Reacting solely on instinct, Sky pushed Bridge as far away as he could.

Bridge stumbled back, "What's your problem?"

"You," Sky shot, louder than necessary. "You're my problem! I can't stand to look at you! I can't stand your voice, your hair, your everything! Why can't you just leave me alone? Why do you insist on talking?"

"Because, Sky, we're friends," Bridge looked at Sky with pain filled eyes.

"Not anymore," Sky was aware that everyone was now staring at them, but didn't care. "I need a break from you! You're driving me insane!"

Sky pushed passed Bridge, who seemed to have gone numb and wasn't moving anymore, "I don't want to see you anymore than necessary, so stay away from me!"

Walking passed many shocked observers, Sky stormed out of the cafeteria and didn't look back. He couldn't stand to look at Bridge's broken expression.

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Z, Syd, and Jack watched in shock as Bridge slowly slid down the wall behind him, ignoring the outside world.

Z turned and glared heatedly at Jack, "So you'll fix everything, huh?"

Jack looked at her in disbelief before taking one last look at Bridge's broken figure and ran out the door after Sky.

Z watched him go before turning back to see Syd already halfway across the room, walking to Bridge. Z quickly caught up.

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"Sky!" Jack called.

The blue ranger only increased his speed, "I thought I told you to stay away from me."

"You did," Jack tried to catch up. "But I need to stop you from making a huge mistake."

That caused Sky to stop in mid-step, and turned to Jack, who skidded to a halt, not prepared for the sudden stop, "What makes you think you have the right to preach to me about my mistakes?"

"Look, I screwed up," Jack tried to apologize. "I was being an idiot."

"At least we finally agree on something," Sky rolled his eyes and turned to go again.

Jack put his hand on Sky's shoulder to stop him, "I may have started this, but you're the one blowing it out of proportion and freaking out."

"I am _not_ freaking out," Sky glared.

"Then what's with you screaming at Bridge back there?" Jack challenged.

Sky averted his gaze, but his anger didn't fade, "I don't need to explain myself to you. It doesn't concern you."

"Then how about how you react whenever I mention Bridge now?" Jack questioned.

"I don't want to talk about this with you," Sky turned to leave.

"You have to answer these questions as much as for yourself as for me," Jack didn't stop him this time, but instead matched his speed. "Why do you blush when he looks at you? Why do you tense up when you get the slightest of body contact? Why are you avoiding him now?"

"Because..." Sky started and trailed off.

Jack stepped in front of Sky and brought them both to a halt, "Because why, Sky!"

"Because I'm in love with him!" Sky shouted back. Eyes widening in shock at what he had just admitted, Sky chose to glare at the ground, unable to meet Jack's eyes.

Jack sighed in relief at that progress, "No, you're not. You just think you are because I've been messing with you."

"You see, this is your problem," Sky rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I finally tell you what's wrong and you don't believe me." He pushed past Jack to continue down the hall, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go do some training to clear my head."

"Wait, Sky," for once Jack's words stopped Sky in his tracks. "When I started teasing you about this, you started to believe it because of how often I kept saying it. You're just mentally rattled, not in love."

"Damn it, Jack, I'm not mentally rattled," Sky yelled. Jack shot him a look and he sighed, "Okay, maybe I was at first, but I've done a lot of thinking. I've always been happiest when I'm around Bridge. I used to attribute that to being because he was my best friend, but I'm happier with him than I've ever been with Sydney or even Dru."

Jack looked at Sky, not knowing what to say. Sky looked up and finished in sincerity, "What you said wasn't a mental shock, Jack; it was a wake up call."

It was a few moments until Jack finally responded, "Even if I believed you, you're doing a bang up job of showing Bridge your affection."

"Bridge sees me as his best friend, nothing more," Sky stared at the floor. "And I'm too unstable right now to be around him, at least for a while."

"For a guy you claim to love, all you seem to be doing is causing Bridge more pain," Jack shot.

"It'd be worse if I acted on my attraction," Sky said sadly. "He must never know how I feel about him."

Sky continued down the hall and for once Jack didn't stop him. Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "This was a lot easier when I thought he was just freaking out."

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A/N: You know, for a chapter that lasted as long as it did, nothing really happened. Well, if all goes according to plan, there should be a little action finally. I hope you still like the story my lovely reviewers! You have no idea how much I adore you! Oh, and Happymoose101, thanks for the correction, I have changed it, and I appreciate your help. Once more, reviews guilt me into going faster, so please review!


	4. Mend What Is Broken

A Little Gossip Never Hurt Anyone

By: Boxer Thief

Disclaimer: I owned the rights to the Power Rangers, and I was able to make them do anything my sick fantasies could think of. Then I woke up…I was sad.

Warnings: Boy x boy loving going on. But once again, you probably already knew that.

Chapter 4: Mend What is Broken

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Z and Syd sat down next to their friend, concern filling their eyes. In all their attempts to console Bridge, his only reaction was to stare sadly at the floor.

Syd squeezed his arm and leaned against his shoulder, trying to comfort him. Z bit her lip, thinking of anything that might make her usually cheery friend recover.

"Do you want some toast?" Z finally asked. "I'll go make you some toast, it'll be extra buttery."

As Z stood up to complete her self appointed task, Bridge finally spoke, "I thought this would blow over fast. We could go back to being friends."

Syd grimaced at the lost sound of Bridge's voice. Z sighed and turned back to her friend, "I know, Bridge. Things are just going to take more time-"

"Time?" Bridge turned his anguished eyes toward Z. "This isn't something that can be fixed by just waiting it out. You saw what happened, everyone did. Sky doesn't want to be my friend anymore; he doesn't even want to be near me." Bridge put his forehead in his hands and said softly, "He hates me now."

"He doesn't hate you," Syd reassured. "Far from it."

Bridge shook his head softly, "No, I could sense his anger, even through my gloves."

"Did you think that maybe that anger wasn't directed at you?" Z asked, sitting down again. "Maybe he was angry at himself."

Bridge let out a bitter laugh, "Don't give me that, I was the one he was yelling at."

Z and Syd looked at each other, trying to think of a way to make their friend feel better. Z shot her a helpless look, and Syd turned back to Bridge, "Just tell us what to do. How can we make this better?"

Bridge continued to stare at the ground, and despair filled his voice, "You can't."

Syd held Bridge closer as Z reached out to give him a reassuring hug. They looked up when they heard approaching footsteps, and saw a nervous looking Jack, staring uncertainly at them.

"Well," Z questioned, a warning in her voice. "How did it go?"

Jack ignored her and fixed his gaze on Bridge, "I'm sorry."

Bridge let out a soft, "Ha."

"I should have stopped," Jack continued, "before it was too late."

"What's too late?" Bridge questioned, then stood and faced Jack. "You know what's going on," he said accusingly. "Tell me."

Jack moved his gaze to Z and Syd, questioning. Bridge noticed this, and stared at the girls, "You know too?" They refused to meet his eyes, but didn't deny anything. "So I'm the only one left in the dark? Do you guys think this is funny?"

"No one's laughing," Syd said softly.

"Well, no one's helping either," Bridge replied. "I just want someone to tell me what's going on."

The three shared nervous glances before Z finally spoke up, "It's not our place to tell, Bridge, it's Sky's."

Bridge sighed, "Well, he doesn't want to talk to me at all, now does he?" He took one last look at his friends before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking off dejectedly.

"Bridge, wait," Jack called.

"No," Bridge replied. "If Sky doesn't want me in his life anymore, then there's nothing I can do about that."

With that, he walked out of the door and out of their sight. Jack sighed, "Well, that went well."

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For the next few days the atmosphere was heavy. Bridge did his required training, and then avoided the group whenever he could, never saying more than what was needed. His lack of incessant babbling leaving a huge gap in their regular day. Sky, however, never seemed to stop training. He would be on the field before the group showed up and stayed after, saying he needed to clear his head.

After each day, both had darker lines under their eyes. Bridge would go to his room at night and be unable to fall asleep. Any sleep given would be restless and have him stirring soon after. Sky hadn't even been going to his room. Whatever sleep he was getting was in the form of quick naps in the rec room, not ready to face his roommate.

It was quite obvious that neither was happy with the way things were going. Bridge walked around with no destination, and it was becoming apparent that he wasn't eating. Whenever Sky saw his green-clad friend, he would pause, open his mouth, and quickly close it, turning around.

And it was driving Jack Landers insane.

"Sky, go make up with your boyfriend right now," Jack told him one day after training.

Sky didn't even blink, "He's not my boyfriend."

"But you wish he was," Jack challenged.

"What I wish," Sky corrected, "is that I had never become aware of my feelings."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Yeah, boo hoo. But you are, and there's nothing that can change that. So the only thing you can do is go make up."

"I already told you," Sky glared at Jack. "It would-"

"Yeah, yeah, it would cause him more pain to know," Jack finished for him. "I don't know if you've looked at him lately, but I don't think he could be in more pain."

Sky quickly brushed Jack off, "You don't understand."

"You're right," Jack responded. "I don't understand. I don't understand how you can cause this much pain to someone you claim to love and then say it's for their own good."

Jack looked pointedly at Sky, "I don't understand why you keep punishing yourself just because you feel something."

"I'm not punishing myself," Sky denied.

"Oh, come on Sky," Jack said exasperatedly. "Bridge is walking around looking like death warmed over and quite frankly, you're not looking much better."

Sky shot him a glare and Jack continued, "Do you know what your problem is? You're scared."

"I'm not scared," Sky growled. "I'm merely acting in the team's best interests."

"That's bull and you know it," Jack shot. "You're scared of feeling anything even resembling love so now that you've had this breakthrough over Bridge, you're stomping down your own emotions."

Jack sighed and tried to calm down his voice, "I know you want to salvage you're friendship with Bridge, but maybe you should just tell him how you feel. You don't have much to lose anymore."

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Sky stood in front of the door to his and Bridge's room, debating whether to knock or just enter. He didn't want to seem rude, but then again, it was his room. He sighed and quickly walked through the door before he could talk himself out of it.

Bridge looked up from taking off his shoes in shock. He seemed about to say something before he set his jaw and turned back to changing out of his training outfit.

Staring down at his friend, Sky found his body taken over by a familiar longing he'd had sense Jack first told him about the rumor. Shaking off the feeling, Sky finally spoke, "I need to talk to you."

"I thought you didn't want to talk," Bridge replied without looking up. "Isn't that what you told me?"

"Actually I told you I didn't want you to talk," Sky said without thinking, then grimaced when Bridge shot him a pained look. "But that's what I want to talk to you about."

Bridge looked at him with a mix of hurt and anger, "So am I allowed to talk in this conversation or not?"

"Look," Sky continued. "I know I've been a jerk to you lately, but there's a reason for it all. And I do still want you to be my friend. I just need some time to get over something before things can go back to normal."

"Well maybe I don't want to be your friend anymore, Sky," Bridge shot. "You keep acting like you're the one calling all the shots, but did you ever think about what I want?"

Sky stared in shock, "Of course I did. That's why I need you to wait-"

"No," Bridge said in a final tone. "Everyone keeps telling me to wait, or to give it more time, but I'm tired of being the only one left in the dark. I've already waited long enough. I'm not going to sit around for you like your faithful dog."

Bridge let out a breath to calm himself, "Just tell me what's going on."

Sky suddenly found it hard to breath again, "I – I can't."

"No, you just won't," Bridge took a step closer and looked up at Sky with pleading eyes. "You say you want to stay friends with me, but I seem to be the only one making an effort."

Sky tried to steady his breath as his body reacted to Bridge's close presence, "I'm making an effort; if you knew then you'd understand."

"Then let me know," Bridge pleaded.

The sound of his beating heart making it hard to think, Sky tried to recall what Jack had said, _you don't have much to lose._

Sky licked his lips and stared at Bridge, "I can tell you anything, right?"

Bridge looked shocked, "Of course you can."

"Just…" Sky stared into Bridge's eyes. "Don't hate me."

Bridge opened his mouth to respond, but was quickly cut off as Sky pressed his lips against Bridge's own.

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A/N: Okay, I'll admit it, I use Jack as a plot device. When I was trying to get from the first scene to the last one, I thought, 'Hey, I'll just use Jack.' And that's when I realized it. I hope he'll forgive me. T.T

Alrighty, here's another chapter for you all. I hope you won't kill me for ending where I did. nervous glances to the side But I'll try really hard to get the next chapter up quickly. THANK YOU MY LOVELY REVIEWERS! You fill my heart with joy and make me rush to write to try to appease you. - I love you all.


	5. Making Amends

A Little Gossip Never Hurt Anyone

By: Boxer Thief

Disclaimer: In my mind, they're mine, but my mind doesn't hold much power in the court of law.

Warnings: Yeah, definitely only putting these up on the first chapter from now on.

Chapter 5: Making Amends

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Coherent thought fled from Sky's mind at the feel of Bridge's slim body against him. Nothing in the universe seemed of any importance except for the softness of Bridge's lips, the feel of Bridge's hair between his fingers, Bridge's entire essence. Sky tried to soak everything in at once, and it made his brain spin.

A growl of need reverberated in the back of Sky's throat as he tried to pull Bridge closer. Knees finally giving out on him, Sky let them fall onto his bed. He brushed his tongue against Bridge's lips as a request to enter, then froze.

In his thrill of having exactly what had been on his mind for the past week, Sky had failed to notice something. Bridge hadn't pushed him away, in fact he offered no resistance at all, but he hadn't responded either.

Sky slowly pulled away, though every part of him was screaming against this, and looked down at the green ranger.

Bridge's eyes were unfocused, and his breath was labored. His entire body seemed tense, yet his arms lay loose at his side. Sky's eyes wandered to Bridge's hair, which he had just discovered was even softer than it looked, and then to his lips, which were still slightly damp and bruised at the treatment they just underwent. Sky licked his lips as he tried to regain enough composer to speak.

"Bridge?" Bridge's gaze shot to Sky at the sound of his voice. Blue eyes filled with shock and confusion stared up at him questioningly.

Sky faltered under that look and tried to think of something to say. What could he say? No words would explain why he had just practically molested his best friend.

Bridge continued to stare at Sky, who tore his eyes away, ashamed. "I...I'm sorry," Sky whispered.

That was all Sky managed before pushing himself up and running out the door, Bridge still frozen on Sky's bed.

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Jack smiled as he ruffled a towel through his damp hair. There was nothing like a long warm shower after a hard work out. Glancing at this watch, his grin widened when he realized he still had a couple of hours before his reports were due, which he, for once, had finished. His steps became more bouncy as he pictured the nap that he felt was in order.

Jack was torn from his day dream when a very solid body rammed into his shoulder. He took a step back to regain his balance and frowned as he recognized the passing blue ranger.

"Sky, what-" Jack's words died in his throat when Sky's eyes shot up and glared at him. Jack still stood frozen in place as Sky continued to storm down the hallway.

There had been anger in that look, but the anger was something Jack was plenty used to by now. Shining deep in Sky's eyes had been something that Jack had never seen in them, and never wanted to again.

Broken. That's what Sky's eyes screamed. Broken and dying.

Jack broke out of his stupor as he realized just what must have put that look in Sky's eyes. He shot down the hallway the way Sky had come until he reached the door he was looking for.

"Bridge!" Jack called out, banging on his friend's living quarters' door. "Bridge, open up! Don't make me use my rank to open this door because I so will. Bridge! Are you listening to – eep!"

Jack struggled to stay on his feel as the door he was pounding on shot open. Bridge stood in the doorway, hair and clothes ruffled, staring wide eyed at Jack. Jack studied Bridge's eyes, but couldn't pick anything out of the wide range of emotions swirling in them. "Bridge?" Jack questioned tentatively. "What happened?"

Bridge put his hand against his forehead, "I never saw if coming. I'm usually pretty good at getting some idea, but I had no clue. And then Sky just does this seemingly out of no where, which is totally un-Sky-like, but he hasn't been acting very Sky-like recently so I shouldn't be too shocked about that, but still. So I just didn't do anything! You understand, right? I don't know what to do." Bridge was pacing now, near hysterics. "I just don't want to lose Sky."

Jack grabbed Bridge's arm and forced him to look at him, "Bridge, you have to calm down, just-"

"I can't!" Bridge shouted and pulled away. "The emotion is so raw, and it just keeps coming." Bridge's face cramped and he massaged his temples. "My head is swimming. I don't know what I'm feeling and what other people's feelings are. They're all mixed up."

Jack bit his lip uncertainly. He never envied Bridge's power, and right now it seemed to be the main cause of Bridge's anxiety. "Come on," Jack said, pulling Bridge out of the room. "We need to get you some fresh air."

---------

Bridge took a deep breath as he soaked in the silence that being on the roof brought. Jack had been right in bringing him up to the top of the academy, as he could already feel his head begin to clear.

"Better?" Bridge looked up from his sitting position to see Jack's concerned face and nodded. Jack smiled, relieved, and knelt down to be level with Bridge, "Good. Now tell me what happened."

"We were arguing," Bridge started, slowly. "Well, sort of. I felt mad, and...hurt. And then suddenly...Sky..." Bridge trailed off, fidgeting nervously. "He kissed me."

Jack let out a laugh at that, but tried to stifle it when he saw Bridge shoot him a look, "Sorry, it's just...that's just so Sky. He's not good with words, so he just resorts to the physical. But I take it you didn't respond favorably."

"That's just it," Bridge's eyes shot to the ground. "I _didn't_ respond. I had no idea what to do."

"Well," Jack said, changing from a kneel to a sitting position. "It's not every day you find out your best friend is in love with you."

"But how does he know?" Bridge questioned. "I mean, he's only been feeling things for about a week now. Easy come easy go, right?"

Jack pursed his lips, "Bridge, you know Sky better than anyone. When he doesn't care about something, he doesn't have a problem letting it go."

"I know," Bridge sighed and glanced to the side.

Jack studied his friend, "So you know how Sky feels, what about you?"

"I have no clue what it is I'm feeling," Bridge replied honestly. "Sky was always just...Sky. He was my best friend. I could always count on him to be there, and I wanted him there. He was one of the few stable things in my life."

"Well, I don't know if this will work, but let's give it a try," Jack shrugged and stood up. "Bridge, stand on your head."

Bridge blinked confusedly at Jack, but did as he was instructed. "Now close your eyes."

"Jack, what-"

"Just do it," Bridge sighed and closed his eyes.

Jack paused, making sure that Bridge had done so, then continued, "I want you to think of a time, any time at all, where it was just you and Sky. A time when you were happy just being with him."

A memory quickly popped into Bridge's head. The first time he had made Sky laugh. He remembered being entranced by the sound of pure joy coming out of his friend's mouth, and the happiness filling him knowing that he was the cause of it.

"Now think of a time when you didn't want to let Sky go."

Jack's words prompted a scene change, and now Bridge saw him and Sky, clad in their D-squad uniforms, being stopped by a young girl, who had finally choked up the courage to confess her feelings to Sky. Bridge never understood the relief that passed through him when Sky had turned her down.

Jack spoke again, but his voice became a background noise as the memories flashed through Bridge's mind. Sky tackling him to save him from a falling tree, and the feeling of loss after he got up. Himself waiting by Sky's bed after he took a nasty hit on the field. Sky finally giving in and sharing a plate of buttered toast with him. Sky grabbing the ball right before Bridge was about to get hit, saving him from losing yet another game of light-ball. Sky standing up for him when he was being bullied his first few weeks at the academy.

Sky smiling, Sky determined, Sky concentrating, Sky sleeping. Sky, Sky, Sky. Dozens of images passed through Bridge's mind, along with emotions he remembered feeling but never thought about.

Jack stopped the flow of memories with a new request, "Now go back to today. Ignore the emotion shock and just feel it again."

Bridge concentrated. The image came quickly enough, but he focused on blocking out the emotions he sensed. He could see Sky in front of him, shifting uncertainly. He saw the fear in Sky's eyes and heard the whispered plea: '_Don't hate me.'_ There was a split second before Sky leaned in and pressed their lips together.

Bridge's eyes shot open and, for the first time he could remember, his arms gave out and he toppled over.

---------

Sky fingered his rifle in his hands as he stared up at the five flying targets. Training helped him focus, and he hoped that with some shooting practice he could release some of the turmoil building in his head.

"Stupid Jack for making me think I had a remote chance," Sky took aim and watched the target explode.

"Stupid me for even listening to him," Sky continued. "Stupid rumor for existing in the first place."

Two more shots, two more targets down.

"Stupid Bridge for not doing anything," Sky didn't even look to see if he hit the target before casting his eyes downward. "Why didn't he do _anything_? He just sat there and let it happen. He could have pushed me away; he could have responded. Anything would have been better than just sitting there, staring at me with those bright blue eyes."

Sky clenched his gun and his eyes narrowed as he took in the last flying target and fired, "Stupid blue eyes."

Sky threw his gun to the side as the computer flashed a "PERFECT" after the target was destroyed. The practice had done nothing to calm him down; in fact it may have made his frustration grow. He exited the door, fully set to go for a run around the court, when he paused.

Bridge stood in front of him, determination written over his face, but it only slightly masked the uncertainty showing through his eyes and uncomfortable stance.

Sky eyed him, the now familiar need coursing through his body, then set his jaw and turned to go.

"Sky," Bridge's voice made him stop, but he didn't turn around. "About what just happened-"

"There's nothing you need to say," Sky interrupted. "I acted impulsively and I'm sorry. I'll get over it, and I hope we can still be friends."

"Sky, I..." Bridge said unsteadily. "I don't want to be friends anymore."

Sky struggled to swallow the large lump he now had in his throat. He had expected as much, but actually hearing the words was harder than he thought. "I understand. We'll still have to be roommates, but I'll try to stay away from you as much as possible."

"No, that's not...that's not what I meant. I just..." Bridge stumbled over his words. "Could you at least look at me while we're talking?"

Sky pondered the question before turning slightly and lifting his gaze to meet Bridge's. His breath caught when he saw the raw desperation present in his eyes. Bridge relaxed slightly at this improvement, but, despite his own request, adverted his gaze nervously.

"I'm sorry," Bridge said quietly. "It's just...I was upset. I felt like I was a puppy that got kicked but didn't know why. And everyone else knew but wouldn't tell me, and that just upset me more. But then...today happened...and you..."

Bridge trailed off and a slight blush decorated his face. Sky opened his mouth, but Bridge continued before any words came out. "Suddenly a whole new range of emotions flooded into my mind, and I wasn't even sure which ones were mine. I never expected that, and I think my brain just went into shock. I didn't know how to respond, so I just...didn't."

Bridge looked up to see if Sky was listening, or even understood. After noticing he still had Sky's attention, he took a deep breath and shifted his weight back and forth on his feet. "There's a difference, you know. Between wants and needs. A need is something you have to have, whether good or bad, while a want is something you feel like you need, but could live without. Even if it doesn't seem like it."

Sky studied Bridge, not sure where this subject change would go, but felt a surge of hope rise that he quickly tried to squash.

"And even with the differences, sometimes what you want and what you need are the same thing. Where what feels like you can't live without, you actually can't. But when it's that important, how can you even know that what you think you want is actually what you want and need? And sometimes you don't even know what you want until you are offered it, and that's something that you didn't know you always wanted. And so what you think you wanted isn't actually what you wanted so badly that you need it, and..." Bridge licked his lips and stared pleadingly at Sky. "Could you just be kissing me now?"

Sky didn't need to be asked twice, and before another word could be uttered, grabbed Bridge and leaned down into a lip-lock. His heart leapt when he felt Bridge's lips move eagerly under his own.

When Sky finally came up for air, he pulled Bridge into a tight hug and buried his face into Bridge's neck. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much. I thought if I gave it time I would get over it, but...I don't think I ever could."

"Jeeze, make me blush," Bridge chucked, but his own arms wrapped around Sky's body, and he let out a content sigh. "I never knew I wanted this. But I do, more than anything. I need you. I'm sorry I ever made you think I didn't."

"I think I was doing a pretty good job of that without your help," Sky said, a small smile on his lips.

The moment was broken by a small crash, which caused the two rangers to break apart and stare at a young female cadet, who apparently had just turned down the hallway that Sky and Bridge were currently occupying. She looked on them, open mouthed, and then apparently noticed the small pile of techno-pads she had dropped. "I...I'm sorry...I-" she stuttered as she tried to pick up her mess. "I'll just find another route to the lab." And before Bridge and Sky had even gotten over the shock of seeing her there, she turned and skittered away.

Bridge blinked, "Well, this will be all over the academy by morning."

"Not much good it will do, according to the rumors, we've been going out for some time now," Sky muttered.

Bridge's eyes widened in surprise, "Are you serious?" When Sky nodded Bridge laughed. "Trust the gossip circle to figure out our feelings before we do. Well, at least we don't have to worry about 'coming out' now." Bridge snickered at the thought, "Could you imagine that? I mean-"

Sky stole Bridge's words and breath away by placing a soft kiss on Bridge's lips. He smiled cockily when he pulled back, "Look at that. I finally found an effective and fun way to stop your ramblings anytime I want."

Bridge punched Sky playfully in the arm, "Ha ha, very funny. But we should really go some place where people won't be randomly walking by us. Come on."

He grabbed Sky and pulled him down the hall before Sky jerked him backwards and into another kiss.

Bridge stared confusedly up at Sky afterwards, "I wasn't talking."

"I know," Sky gave a soft smile. "That time I just wanted to."

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A/N: THE END! Wow. That was the longest chapter so far. I'm terribly sorry that it took me so freaking long to get this chapter out. In my defense, I wrote an ending a while ago, and would have sworn I posted it. By the time I found out I hadn't, I was already in another country. So yeah, I had to completely rewrite this. It would have been up sooner if I didn't have such limited access to the internet here. Personally, I think I didn't post it subconsciously. I actually didn't like what I wrote. But this one, I like much better than the original.

Anyway, thank you my lovely reviewers! - That will be the last time you hear me say that in this story, so I wanted to make it count. And because of that, I would like to thank Enigmus, Sam, KuroKoneko, Star's Shadow, insanechild fanfic, Chounette, HarryPotterStarWarsGoddess, AGD, Armitage Blade, JQ-Quinn, rangerfan1994, ShadowWren, Psycho Tangerine, nishigawaw, Evil Salmon, and AngelMouse5 for reviewing for this story once. Also a huge thank you and a hug to XRachX and Hestia82 for reviewing twice. And a gianourmous thank you, a hug, and a batch of cookies for Crimsonred1989, MzDany, BridgeCrazy, and kikos ai for reviewing three times.

Lastly, we have a stupendous thank you, a giant hug, a batch of cookies, and a Sky and Bridge plush for Happymoose101, CamRan4Ever, and Patrick in a Heartbeat for reviewing for EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER! You people rule!


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